Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dagupan and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Dagupan: $743 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Dagupan
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Dagupan Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Dagupan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$743

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dagupan and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dagupan and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $743 per month in Dagupan vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Dagupan $743
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,105 per month in Dagupan vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Dagupan $1,105
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,467 per month in Dagupan vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Dagupan $1,467
Nosara $3,818

Dagupan is about 60% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Dagupan sits 45% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.90 ₱183

$12.35 ₡5,539

-76.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.98 ₱754

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-80.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.50 ₱284

$7.52 ₡3,373

-40.16%

Cappuccino

$2.47 ₱156

$4.41 ₡1,978

-43.99%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.41

$1.74 ₡780

-71.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ₱14.46

$1.31 ₡587

-82.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.6

$3.28 ₡1,471

-64.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₱172

$4.47 ₡2,004

-38.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 ₱112

$1.56 ₡701

13.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 ₱80.2

$3.02 ₡1,355

-57.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ₱55.8

$2.51 ₡1,125

-64.54%

Eggs

$1.84 ₱116

$3.57 ₡1,603

-48.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.69 ₱358

$7.43 ₡3,333

-23.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.83 ₱304

$10.52 ₡4,717

-54.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.85 ₱431

$13.97 ₡6,265

-50.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 ₱250

$2.35 ₡1,052

68.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.61 ₡720

24.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 ₱168

$4.80 ₡2,152

-44.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱71.2

$1.61 ₡724

-29.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 ₱181

$3.80 ₡1,703

-24.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 ₱219

$3.69 ₡1,657

-5.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.2

$1.13 ₡507

-5.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱35.93

$2.66 ₡1,191

-78.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.45 ₱155

$5.18 ₡2,321

-52.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 ₱348

$19.88 ₡8,916

-72.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.2

$2.90 ₡1,300

-69.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₱118

$3.63 ₡1,626

-48.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.59

$1.12 ₡504

-82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 ₱41.67

$2.14 ₡958

-69.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.54

$1.57 ₡703

-85.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₱118

$8.52 ₡3,823

-77.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₱71.5

$1.52 ₡682

-25.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-1.97%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.7K ₱1.2M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-43.02%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$104 ₱6,560

$96.3 ₡43.2K

8.20%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.84 ₱997

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-55.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.82 ₱1,626

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-51.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.96 ₱2,138

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-52.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$5.13 ₱323

$7.89 ₡3,539

-34.98%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$786 ₱49.5K

$494 ₡221.6K

58.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,469 ₱470.3K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-37.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 ₱3,814

$53.9 ₡24.2K

12.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.86 ₱495

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-85.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 ₱5,075

$77.9 ₡34.9K

3.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ₱6,411

$79.6 ₡35.7K

27.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$194 ₱12.2K

$788 ₡353.4K

-75.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₱10.0K

$794 ₡356.2K

-79.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$364 ₱22.9K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-90.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 ₱17.0K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-80.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$479 ₱30.2K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-60.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$239 ₱15.0K

$864 ₡387.3K

-72.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

8.62

-12.99%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Dagupan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Dagupan

$197 26.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 78.5% $155

Accommodation & Living

Dagupan

$159 21.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 399% $635

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dagupan

$146 19.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 27.4% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Dagupan

$113 15.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 6.4% $7.2

Eating Out

Dagupan

$81 10.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 163% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Dagupan

$44 6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 97.6% $43

Getting Around

Dagupan

$2.6 * 0.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 3225% $84

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $194 in Dagupan versus $788 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 262% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Dagupan versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $352 – making Dagupan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Dagupan

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:53 10:53 PM

08:53 8:53 AM

14 h behind Dagupan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,302

4,912

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dagupan Nosara 15,950 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Dagupan
Nosara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Dagupan vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 148%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,114 per month in Dagupan and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dagupan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Dagupan and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 79% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dagupan, where all-in costs run around $743, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Dagupan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dagupan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dagupan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.